The Future of Music Is Participatory: Leading Suno’s Series C

Music has been a big part of my life. I started playing the piano when I was 4, classically trained, and performed internationally before studying music performance in college. At one point, I practiced six hours a day and even tried my hand at composing, but the music was…honestly bad. These days, I listen to music at least six hours a day ambiently, but until recently, had never been further from creating it. 

That’s changing with Suno. For the first time, generative models are unlocking music creation for regular people. 

When we first met Mikey Shulman, Suno’s CEO and co-founder, at the 2024 Cerebral Valley Summit, it was clear the team was extraordinary. Mikey and his co-founders Georg Kucscko and Martin Camacho bring technical depth, formerly leading ML and research at Kensho (whose alumni went on to found Thinking Machines, OpenEvidence, and LangChain), paired with a deep understanding of music culture and consumer design. The addition of Jack Brody, who led product and design at Snap for over a decade, has only amplified that vision. Together, they’ve built a product people love. I remember the first song I made on Suno, a gospel ballad roasting my brother that I then played at his birthday. It was a magical, personal, funny moment.

Just as Instagram made everyone a photographer and TikTok made everyone a filmmaker, Suno enables everyone to be a music creator. It’s one of the fastest-growing consumer products in history since launching in December 2023. 

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that Menlo Ventures is leading Suno’s $250M Series C, alongside our friends at Lightspeed and Matrix Partners, backing this iconic company as it ushers in the next era of music creation.

From Listeners to Creators in One Click

Suno’s conversion mechanic is simple. Most users discover Suno as listeners through their community—a friend shares a song they created to a group chat, leading the group to click through and discover a product unlike any other: a constantly refreshing feed of original, user-generated music that feels both novel and personalized, and a delightful way to create something new.

The transformation happens fast. Type an idea, click Create, and suddenly, you’re not just imagining music—you’re making it. That shift from listener to creator? That’s what Suno unlocks. Want that indie ballad to sound more upbeat? Want to add a verse about your dog (or, in Menlo’s case, a song about AI investing for our LPs)? Suddenly, people who’ve never touched a musical instrument are creating tracks they’re genuinely proud to share with each other or on their social channels, and coming back day after day to make more. Users have brought songs they wrote in high school to life as full albums, told long-distance friends how much they’ve missed them through songs, and used music generation as a therapeutic outlet for processing their emotions. Many then listen to their own tracks ambiently, some of which may take dozens of hours to perfect.

That being said, Suno isn’t just for the consumer creator. The company recently launched Suno Studio, a professional-grade digital audio workstation (DAW) where prosumers and professional producers can build multi-track compositions, generate stems, and control everything from BPM to pitch. The product aims to expand the DAW market, with an easier-to-use interface and augmented by AI. Whether you’re making your first song or your thousandth, Suno meets you where you are.

The results have been remarkable. Xania Monet is the first known AI artist to debut on a Billboard radio chart with her hit “How Was I Supposed To Know,” created by Telisha “Nikki” Jones, a poet and songwriter who uses Suno to turn her lyrics into songs. Another creator by the name of imoliver reached  3M+ streams of his hit song “Stone” on Suno, subsequently earning him a record deal. 

Backing the Companies That Become Household Names

Menlo Ventures has spent decades at the forefront of consumer innovation, partnering with founders who transform everyday life. From Uber to Roku, Siri, Poshmark, Rover, Chime, Warby Parker, Function Health, and Raya, Menlo has backed companies that introduced entirely new behaviors, reshaped categories, and became household names. These products have touched millions of people and set the pace for what a modern consumer brand can be.

Now, a new chapter is unfolding. AI is rewriting the consumer playbook, shifting the center of gravity from static apps to intelligent systems that anticipate needs, collapse complexity, and amplify human capability. Menlo is backing founders who see this shift clearly and are building the next generation of consumer products: AI-native services that feel intuitive, personal, and indispensable from day one. With deep conviction, data-driven insight (including findings from Menlo’s 2025 Consumer AI Report), and a long history of supporting category-defining companies, Menlo is committed to partnering with teams building the products that will define the future. If you’re a founder building the next breakout consumer product, we’d love to hear from you.

Want to create your first song? Check Suno out now at suno.com and share with us. We’d love to hear it!